Self-Balancing Unicycle Only Half as Dorky as Segway

Focus Designs Self Balancing Unicycle (SBU) has hit version 2.0. Seeing as we never covered the previous versions here on Gadget Lab, we’ll only mention one improvement before getting straight to the specs (And, of course, the snark). The new SBU ditches the dirty old chain and external motor for an internal hub motor, making the whole thing much cleaner, both visually and literally.

The electric motor of this one-wheeled Segway puts out 1,000 watts (against 350 watts in the original), and three gyroscopes make for easier and smoother turning. This, along with lowered foot pegs, makes it easier both to learn and to ride.

Finally, the battery has been bumped to 5 amp-hours for an average 12-mile range, and a maximum speed of 10 mph. Regenerative braking helps conserve juice by charging the battery as you slow down.

You can buy the new SBU starting in November, and it’ll cost you $1,500.

And the snark? Well, the machine actually looks pretty cool, and a lot of fun to ride. Take a look at this video, though, and you’ll see just how to make people hate you when you ride it: Talk on your cellphone and mug for the camera while doing some lame hip-hop music-video hand gestures. Cool!